Your New website

I Want to Donate to a Lutheran Cause

I see websites all the time that have a donation link. Since I work with churches and schools, I assume people have some kind of idea where the money is going. However, when I wrote a book about building your church website, I advised against simply linking out to a Paypal donation page. The main reason is that I think people want to know where the money's going, so I suggested having the donation page really be more about what the church has done with donations over the years.

Thinking about it even more, I have come to realize that the other danger in having that donation link is that people might think you're only interested in money. I'm talking about people who are seeking a church or school. Of course, they'll know it takes money to run the church, but if it's sitting right there as one of the five main menu items on a website meant to welcome new people to the church, it just looks kind of bad.

Anyhow, if you ended up here because you are a Lutheran (LCMS or WELS), and you're looking for your donation to make a difference, then consider giving to our friends at Lutheran Radio Church Service. The donations have not come in as consistently as necessary, so those in charge fear they won't be able to keep it going.

About a year ago, I decided I was going to try to help others rather than myself when it came to promoting my business. I started emailing churches, trying to get them to link out to Lutheran Radio Church Service. I sold it as a way for church members to listen to a full Lutheran service while away from home. Unfortunately, my efforts only garnered a few links. I wasn't asking for actual plugs or donations, but I think every church is fearful that some other entity might entice members to show up less often.

Lutheran Radio Church Service has the archives and web presence to reach many people, and it's growing every week. Not every church out there can claim the same thing, but that's why I am a huge promoter of even the smallest church posting new content on its website weekly. If you live in an assisted living facility, are overseas, travel a lot, or just skip church every once in a while, then try lrcsonline. Then consider giving a gift to ensure it keeps broadcasting to people all around the world.

In fact, as I was writing this article, I looked up the demographics of who listens to Lutheran Radio Church Service, and I was kind of surprised to see that a third of the listeners online are males ages 25-34. Since I have promoted the broadcasts as being good for those in the military, I am hoping that's what's driving the traffic. But it's also evidence that the broadcasts should continue (with your generous support). Since I started helping with the website in 2016, people have listened to over 21,000 minutes (350 hours) of WELS and LCMS church services on Youtube, not to mention those who have accessed the archives hosted with another service for which I do not have the metrics. People are listening, and a lot of those people are young men in the military or away at college.